Credit Grimson With an Assist

Honesty Is the Best Policy Dept.:

King winger Stu Grimson was in the right place at the right time in the opening period of the Kings’ 4-1 victory Friday night, just in front of Dallas goalie Eddie Belfour when Jere Karalahti launched a shot from beyond the right-wing faceoff circle.

Grimson’s stick went up. The puck went past Belfour.

Goal and a 1-0 King lead.

Goal Grimson, his third of the season, came the announcement.

“I was surprised,” he said.

Grimson talked to referee Wayne Bonney, who called up the official scorer. “I didn’t think I touched it,” Grimson said. “I asked them to take another look. It was Jere’s goal.”

It took until the second intermission for the goal to be credited to Karalahti, his first of the season.

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Eric Belanger was on the ice for all four King goals and assisted on the power-play score by Lubomir Visnovsky, not a bad night’s work for a fourth-line center.

“We have good chemistry,” he said of linemates Grimson and Ian Laperriere. “And we know we can score.”

Their primary role is to play defense, but Coach Andy Murray has asked all of the lines to score.

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Dallas was shy a scorer in Brett Hull, who sat because of a bruised rib cage.